DUBIOUS DISTINCTION

"Indiana leads the nation" those were the beginning words of an Associated
Press story reported last week dealing with federally funded college
student aid.

In this particular case, however, being number one didn't turn out to be a
very good thing.

According to federal government data released this month, since the year
2000 Indiana has led the nation in college student applicants denied
student aid due to their disclosure on financial aid applications of felony
or misdemeanor drug convictions.

The statistics revealed that one out of every 200 Hoosier student
applicants was denied the aid. That puts Indiana at double the national
average of one out of every 400 aid applicants turned down due to prior
drug offenses.

The law limiting the aid was passed in 1998. It was authored by
Representative Mark E. Souder, Congressman from Indiana's Third
Congressional District.

According to USA Today, Indiana's dubious distinction makes no difference
to our neighboring Congressman. "The principal remains the same," USA Today
quoted Souder, "the American taxpayer should not be subsidizing the
education of those students who are convicted or dealing or using illegal
drugs."

Mind you, no other offenses make an applicant ineligible for student
financial aid. Certainly not DUIs or underage drinking. No other felonies,
no other misdemeanors are considered. No infractions of the Ten
Commandments, no violations of the seven deadly sins, none of these count.
Perhaps that's why the law's constitutionality is currently being
challenged in federal court.

If you ask me, Souder's law seems pretty much aimed at kicking a very
particular dog when it's down in a very particular way.

The Associated Press quoted Souder last Monday stating, "The principal
behind drug-free student loans is accountability, so as to help ensure that
taxpayer funds are not wasted."

I'm worried that he's not worried.

What's wrong back home in Indiana? Indiana leads the nation in students
being denied aid due to drug offenses. That's what's wrong. The question is
simple why?

Souder's rhetoric makes him sound quite beholden to the American taxpayer.

Hmmm.

In 1998 Congressman Souder had the time, interest and energy to advance and
get passed his custom crafted, selectively punitive legislation. It sounds
as though it was all done in the name of accountability to the taxpayer.

In 1998 the U.S. public debt was $5.5 trillion dollars. That's
$5,500,000,000,000.

As of 4/21/06 the U.S. debt stands at $8.3 trillion dollars
$8,349,970,836,065.88 to be exact.

Accountability to the taxpayer. You've got to be kidding.

The U.S. debt grows at $2.06 billion dollars a day.

The debt is all about unfunded Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid
entitlements.

Accountability to the taxpayer!

Congress can't look the taxpayer in the eye. Meanwhile Congress has the
nation living on a giant credit card.

In the period between passage of Souder's bill and today, Souder and his
fellow Republicans passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Act of 2003. It is
a daunting, unfunded entitlement with a guesstimated price tag of $1.2
trillion borrowed dollars. This new entitlement program will threaten and
challenge generations to come.

Accountability to the taxpayer! What a hoot!

Meanwhile, back at the Hoosier ranch, there's some trouble brewing with our
college kids. I, for one, am worried.